Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
For anyone who wants to see a real tornado...
Last night at home
They always have all the fun when I'm not there. My mom said they had no idea there was anything there, until the neighbor called and said there were stormwatchers in front of their house. She went outside and saw a news helicopter, and told my dad. He turned on the news and could see footage being taken from the helicopter showing funnel clouds. There were actually two, and they did actually touch down, but only briefly. No injuries or property damage reported. The highway in this clip runs one mile north of our house, and the hills seen in the background are five miles from my home, so this was about two miles away. Don't you want to live there?
They always have all the fun when I'm not there. My mom said they had no idea there was anything there, until the neighbor called and said there were stormwatchers in front of their house. She went outside and saw a news helicopter, and told my dad. He turned on the news and could see footage being taken from the helicopter showing funnel clouds. There were actually two, and they did actually touch down, but only briefly. No injuries or property damage reported. The highway in this clip runs one mile north of our house, and the hills seen in the background are five miles from my home, so this was about two miles away. Don't you want to live there?
Monday, June 11, 2007
Greetings, earthlings!
From PA. It is beautiful, but it makes me homesick for VA and you people there and makes me remember being homesick for Oklahoma when I was in VA.
I am here in order to be trained in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and receive certification in preparation for going to Italy. Doing the training at Youth With a Mission, so it is learning how to teach from a biblical perspective for the purpose of sharing the gospel. We only had a brief introductory class today, but I think it will be a wonderful stretching class and very interesting as we learn about linguistics and cultural differences. Our professor is from Australia, so I love her accent (although when I met her I thought she said her name was "Ma-Lene"--it's Marlene). I'm also enjoying the people I'm taking the class with--there are 12 of us, and I am enjoying the challenge to grow and fellowship and fun of an intense time like this. As a matter of fact, I just came from an impromptu worship time with a few of the others and a couple of guitars. Nothing like praising God together.It's also fun hearing about the different cultures people are from--a lot of them are missionaries who have already been on the field, so although I'm a little intimidated, I'm trying to make use of them.
It's also surprising how nice it feels to be back in "school"! To do reading and go outside, and take breaks. Wow. I never thought it would sound this good again so soon.
I had a growing-closer-time yesterday (and also a things-are-not-important time) after I arrived here on two hours of sleep (plane left the city at 6, be there an hour early, 2 hour drive, you do the math) and being rather loopy (ok, a lot loopy. Loopier than usual. We can say I sounded a few tacos short of a fiesta platter. One french fry short of a Happy Meal. I wasn't firing on all cylinders). Anyway, I arrived after a 45-minute layover in Chicago O'Hare and found that my luggage was missing. It was off having adventures without me. This had never occurred to me as a possibility. I was thankful I had decided to leave Theodore Edward at home where nothing could happen to him. (Theodore Edward also being known as Teddy, for anyone who is not acquainted with him. He has served in the position of Teddy for 21 years now, and without him I would be lost. Or maybe he would be lost, but you know what I mean.)
So I kept calling all afternoon and the automated voice kept saying "your luggage has not yet been located. We are sorry for the inconvenience," in a computer voice properly modulated to create a soothing effect. Eventually I accepted the loans of everyone's just-about-everything and a ride to Walmart to pick up a few other things. When I was walking out the door after running around the store wondering what I could not do without and buying things that I probably could, my phone rang and it was Him. The man with my lost suitcase which had been found. "What side of Lebanon are you on?" he asked. "I have no idea," I answered. "Well," he said, "are you on the north side, or the east side, or the south side, or the west side?" "I really don't know," I said. "I'm not from around here." "Well you don't have to tell me where exactly you're at," he replied. "My GPS can do that. Just tell me what side of town you are on." "Really, I would if I could," I responded, almost panicking. "But I'm not from here and I'm not with anyone from here. Can you call me back in about half an hour?" Then I got a brilliant idea. "Wait!" I cried. "I am at Walmart! Surely someone at Walmart knows where it is!" So I ran inside and to the customer service counter. "Excuse me," I asked a woman standing in line, "but can you tell me where in Lebanon we are?" "East." she said. "Or maybe west." Fortunately someone else knew better. So I returned my purchases of five minutes before. Then I realized it might be awhile before my suitcase arrived. Oh well.
I stayed up waiting for it. And staying up waiting for something when you're on 2 hours of sleep is lots of fun. But the man who delivered it has a son who is a missionary. And it got here by 10 o'clock.
Then I took a shower--down the stairs and down the hall without turning on any lights. I probably could have turned on lights. And I probably should have. But after a few heart-stopping moments I was able to feel my way back to my room. And then couldn't sleep.
C.S. (Coming Soon) Pictures of the Grand Canyon trip. And maybe pics from PA before too long. You didn't know I had a camera, did you? =)
I am here in order to be trained in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and receive certification in preparation for going to Italy. Doing the training at Youth With a Mission, so it is learning how to teach from a biblical perspective for the purpose of sharing the gospel. We only had a brief introductory class today, but I think it will be a wonderful stretching class and very interesting as we learn about linguistics and cultural differences. Our professor is from Australia, so I love her accent (although when I met her I thought she said her name was "Ma-Lene"--it's Marlene). I'm also enjoying the people I'm taking the class with--there are 12 of us, and I am enjoying the challenge to grow and fellowship and fun of an intense time like this. As a matter of fact, I just came from an impromptu worship time with a few of the others and a couple of guitars. Nothing like praising God together.It's also fun hearing about the different cultures people are from--a lot of them are missionaries who have already been on the field, so although I'm a little intimidated, I'm trying to make use of them.
It's also surprising how nice it feels to be back in "school"! To do reading and go outside, and take breaks. Wow. I never thought it would sound this good again so soon.
I had a growing-closer-time yesterday (and also a things-are-not-important time) after I arrived here on two hours of sleep (plane left the city at 6, be there an hour early, 2 hour drive, you do the math) and being rather loopy (ok, a lot loopy. Loopier than usual. We can say I sounded a few tacos short of a fiesta platter. One french fry short of a Happy Meal. I wasn't firing on all cylinders). Anyway, I arrived after a 45-minute layover in Chicago O'Hare and found that my luggage was missing. It was off having adventures without me. This had never occurred to me as a possibility. I was thankful I had decided to leave Theodore Edward at home where nothing could happen to him. (Theodore Edward also being known as Teddy, for anyone who is not acquainted with him. He has served in the position of Teddy for 21 years now, and without him I would be lost. Or maybe he would be lost, but you know what I mean.)
So I kept calling all afternoon and the automated voice kept saying "your luggage has not yet been located. We are sorry for the inconvenience," in a computer voice properly modulated to create a soothing effect. Eventually I accepted the loans of everyone's just-about-everything and a ride to Walmart to pick up a few other things. When I was walking out the door after running around the store wondering what I could not do without and buying things that I probably could, my phone rang and it was Him. The man with my lost suitcase which had been found. "What side of Lebanon are you on?" he asked. "I have no idea," I answered. "Well," he said, "are you on the north side, or the east side, or the south side, or the west side?" "I really don't know," I said. "I'm not from around here." "Well you don't have to tell me where exactly you're at," he replied. "My GPS can do that. Just tell me what side of town you are on." "Really, I would if I could," I responded, almost panicking. "But I'm not from here and I'm not with anyone from here. Can you call me back in about half an hour?" Then I got a brilliant idea. "Wait!" I cried. "I am at Walmart! Surely someone at Walmart knows where it is!" So I ran inside and to the customer service counter. "Excuse me," I asked a woman standing in line, "but can you tell me where in Lebanon we are?" "East." she said. "Or maybe west." Fortunately someone else knew better. So I returned my purchases of five minutes before. Then I realized it might be awhile before my suitcase arrived. Oh well.
I stayed up waiting for it. And staying up waiting for something when you're on 2 hours of sleep is lots of fun. But the man who delivered it has a son who is a missionary. And it got here by 10 o'clock.
Then I took a shower--down the stairs and down the hall without turning on any lights. I probably could have turned on lights. And I probably should have. But after a few heart-stopping moments I was able to feel my way back to my room. And then couldn't sleep.
C.S. (Coming Soon) Pictures of the Grand Canyon trip. And maybe pics from PA before too long. You didn't know I had a camera, did you? =)
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